Davit Bakradze, the National Movement’s presidential candidate, asks Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili for a meeting to discuss how to get the country’s economy out of the crisis. The PM has not yet responded.

On Wednesday, the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, published a new report which showed that Georgia’s GDP growth in June was minus 0.8 percent. The report led to criticism against the government from members of the UNM.

At a briefing Thursday, Bakradze poked fun at the Ivanishvili-led government and compared it to an ostrich that sticks its head into the sand.

“It is not serious when the government and ministers remain in an ostrich pose as if nothing is happening in the economy,” he said.

Bakradze went on to say that the crisis mostly will impact on the poor population and make their situation even more difficult.

“So the government should leave its ostrich pose and begin to have an open discussion,” he appealed.

The UNM’s candidate for president suggested that his meeting with Ivanishvili should deal with how to create stability in business. He suggested a five year ‘moratorium’ on establishing new regulations for business.

Bakradze also proposed creating a convenient business environment and continuing the reduction of taxes.

“We planned to reduce income taxes from 2013. The government declined this, and now we propose to again choose this direction,” Bakradze said.

DF Watch tried to get an answer from the PM’s office, but without result.

Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament, however said that if Bakradze has anything he wants to discuss he can call him. Usupashvili added that he hasn’t received any proposal from Bakradze recently.